LeBron James Is Taking Short Shorts to a Whole New Level

LeBron James is consistently one of the best-dressed and least weird men in the NBA, both off and, more recently, on the court. A couple of seasons ago he ditched his signature headband. There was that short-lived face mask phase. And today, King James debuted a new way of wearing shorts during practice. He wore them very, very short.

We wholly endorse James leaving behind the wide knee-length styles he first wore as a rookie in 2003. Back in 2015, the Cavaliers forward said his then new shorter shorts were part of an effort to appear more professional on and off the court. The ones he wore today double-down (up?) on that promise—and then some.

It's hard not to look at these shorts through the 2017 menswear lens and not think James looks silly. Think about it in your daily life. If a guy rolled up next to you at the gym wanting to work in wearing an equally thigh-exposing pair, you have to admit it would give you pause. Are they indecent? Hardly. But they're also what we might call aggressive in the fit department.

David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images

David Liam Kyle/Getty Images

IDavid Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images

David Liam Kyle/Getty Images

We're not 100% sure why James went this short but we're not 100% sure this is a bad move, either. Because the truth is, King James kind of pulls them off. There are a very few people on earth are in better physical condition than the NBA star and these shorts help prove it, albeit through a lot of muscly man thigh. And this isn't the first time an NBA player has sported these bottoms. If it were still 1975, every guy on the court would be sporting a pair of micro shorts. Short shorts (by today's standards) were part of the standard uniform professional basketball players wore up until the '90s when those knee-length shorts took over. LeBron's shorts in these photos aren't that much shorter than the ones Michael Jordan wore during his first NBA seasons.

But here's something to consider: James has a history of unintentionally exposing himself on basketball courts, so these short-as-hell shorts probably aren't the safest bet.

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